Sri Lankan News Updates with Discussions

Sirasa says anti-Akon protestors barking up the wrong tree

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena declined to comment on the attack. Claiming that he had been busy campaigning in Matara for the forthcoming General Election, Yapa urged the media to direct their questions to police headquarters.

Despite the Tourism Ministry denying its involvement with the now cancelled Akon concert, following last Monday s attack on the MTV/MBC head office at Braybrook Place for being the sponsor of the event, it has come to light the MTV/MBC had only been the media sponsor, whereas the Sri Lankan Airlines, the Cinnamon Grand and Dialog Telecom PLC, too, threw their weight behind the controversial project.

A spokesman for MTV/MBC told The Island that the government and a section of the State-run and the privately-owned media had justified the attack on MTV/MBC on the grounds that they organized the event.

Tourism Minister Achala Jagoda on Thursday (March 25) made an abortive bid to distance his ministry from the Akon show, though Dileep Mudadeniya, the Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said this would contribute immensely towards promoting tourism and make Colombo a popular venue in global entertainment. He said that the Akon show was in line with their campaign Visit Sri Lanka 2011 to attract tourists.

The Sirasa official said that they didn t organize or fund the project, though an attempt was being made to blame the MTV/MBC management for inviting a foreign artiste, who had ridiculed Buddhism.

Nothing could be far from the truth, he said, emphasizing that they were only the media sponsor. He said that the print and electronic media reported on the Akon show in the recent past. Platinum Entertainment Private Limited is the main organizer of the event, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

The Jathika Sanga Sammelanaya on Thursday denied allegations that its members had been at the scene of the attack. Ven. Hadigalle Wimalasara Thera said that an attempt was being made to blame it on the Jathika Sanga Sammelanaya, though they were not involved in the incident. The denial followed a statement issued by the Media Centre for National Security that members of the JSS had protested outside MTV/MBC offices shortly before the attack.

JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said that those who promote tourism should be careful to ensure that they did not cause unnecessary problems.

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena declined to comment on the attack. Claiming that he had been busy campaigning in Matara for the forthcoming General Election, Yapa urged the media to direct their questions to police headquarters.

He was responding to queries at the weekly media briefing at his ministry. But Cabinet spokesman Minister G. L. Peiris assured that the party would take disciplinary action against any party member if found guilty of attacking Sirasa. Addressing the post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, Peiris said that the President had directed the police to take action against the attackers. He was responding to a query whether any UPFA local government politicians had been involved in the incident.

Sirasa pointed out that the State media had accused Sirasa employees of attacking a group of protestors without any provocation. They were quoted as saying that Sirasa employees fired water cannon and pelted stones at them causing mayhem. Sirasa said that they could have deceived people with their lies if they did not capture them on video. Sirasa showed the presence of a police jeep at the scene of the attack, calling on people to help identify persons involved in the attack.

Sirasa went to the extent of offering Rs. 50,000 each to anyone helping the station identify each attacker.

rswkv

27 Mar 2010 13:41:36 GMT

[stoning at the correct cage]

Sirasa must be stonned, court martial and banned for five years..

Kushie

27 Mar 2010 13:45:03 GMT

Sirasa should stop showing some of its low graded programs.most of them are utterly rubbish.

Sagaryakmeda

27 Mar 2010 14:57:05 GMT

Ya, Pakooo........

MaKaSo

27 Mar 2010 16:24:08 GMT

[Sirasa should stop showing some of its low graded programs.most of them are utterly rubbish.]

So What??

don`t watch their low graded programs. switch the channel.

wick

28 Mar 2010 00:55:10 GMT

[don t watch their low graded programs. Switch the channel]

Yes yes . If it is so why the hell all the governments destroy Drug dens and gives death penalty to Drug barons? Instead they would have asked switch to chocolates.

Minissu heluwen giyata kamak natha anik aya balana ekai waradda?

Mewa ahala pana palayan pereda.

Biomass

28 Mar 2010 00:56:08 GMT

Sirask thiyensvsnam mewage booru weda karaida?

Poruthotage67

28 Mar 2010 01:05:31 GMT

Dear all,

Attack on Sirasa is not about showing `low graded` programs. It is a part of `media freedom` under MR and goons` political administration.

By the way, former JHU member, Sarath Manamendra, clealy explains how the `Akon crisis` had originated and developed into the current climax. Read the following.

[All arrangements to bring down the US hip-hop singer Akon that created a furore in the society had been made by the government says DNA candidate for Colombo District Sarath Manamendra.

Speaking at a press conference held in Colombo on Thursday (25th) Mr. Manamendra said, It is the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) that has taken the initiative to bring Akon to Sri Lanka. It is a sports club in which many are Buddhists. The visit has been sponsored by Sri Lankan Airlines and Sri Lanka Tourist Board. The Chairman of Sri Lankan Airlines Wickremasuriya is a very close relative of the President. Sri Lankan Airlines is under Minister Chamal Rajapakse. Also, the Ministry of Tourism is under a minister from Panchayuda party of the patriotic government. Hence, it is the patriotic Mahinda Rajapakse government that has made all the arrangements to bring down Akon to Sri Lanka. continued .........

Poruthotage67

28 Mar 2010 01:05:54 GMT

Continued ....

Akon is a singer who is associated with highly erotic scenes and was banned from entering India. He uses religious leaders as a background for his songs. It is the government that made arrangements to bring him down to this country. The intention of getting him down here was to develop the tourist sector. However, when the whole story was exposed by the media the government has cancelled visa to Akon to enter the country.

At a press conference held recently this is what Mr. Pradeep Mudadeniya, the Managing Director of Ceylon Tourist Board said regarding bringing down Akon to Sri Lanka. `We have arranged various items. We have arranged different fun activities in various districts. India hadn`t organized such programmes for a long time as such a programme did not have any commercial value.

India did not arrange such programmes as getting down such people was not beneficial financially and also it would be harmful to their culture. The government has admitted this.

He says, `We want to get India and Maldives to join our programmes through Sri Lankan Airlines. Then those fans could join us. Then Sri Lanka would be the center for fun in the region.`

They think when we bring down these pornographic singers who have been rejected by India people from India could come here and fatten their purses. What do these patriots who wear a shawl round their necks do? We would never object if Latha Mangeskar is brought down. Bring down Bob Marley`s sons and we would embrace them warmly. The government tried to destroy our culture by bringing down shabby singers.

Hence, we call upon the masses in this country to drive away the present government that has painted itself with pseudo patriotism and bring victory to the Democratic National Alliance that has shouldered the struggle to liberate the heroic commander who liberated the Motherland.]

kiwikanga

28 Mar 2010 04:44:52 GMT

[Minister G. L. Peiris assured that the party would take disciplinary action against any party member if found guilty of attacking Sirasa]

It`s not the `Party Members` who attacked. It was the supporters and hangers on of a rebelous `Party Member` who is a virtually good for nothing villain who has been appointed as a Deputy Minister in the Rajapaksa Cabinet and even given a doctorate for a million rupees by the Homeopathic Institute.

Can the `Propa` explain as to why any action is not being taken against this villain for all the villany and mayhem done by him and his corhorts during all these years????